Spaces Between the Stars
by ZeroSumPhase
Summary: As Liara works to bring Miranda into the Shadow Broker's network, Shepard tours the galaxy for one last mission in uniform. But when they both stumble upon different aspects of the same dark secret, it's a race against time to see if they can put the puzzle pieces together and save countless lives. Volume 2 of the 'Stars' series.
1. Prologue

_And now, each night I count the stars,_

_And each night I get the same number._

_And when they will not come to be counted,_

_I count the holes they leave._

* * *

The searing heat washed over her, caustic and all-consuming. It was not like before, she noted. This was different. Replacing the bottomless depth of loss was the cleansing fire of rage. She was furious. It took every ounce of inner strength for Liara to simply hold back; to bite her tongue and say nothing.

"Commander Shepard," Admiral Hackett proclaimed, "it is with great pleasure I promote you to the rank of Captain, with all the rights and responsibilities pertaining thereto. Congratulations," he said, pinning a set of bars to Shepard's collar.

_I told you so, _Liara thought bitterly.

The office was different from the last time Liara had been there, she noted. It was more complete; gone was the sense of functional haste. Completeness came in the form of a wide desk, shelves lining the walls brimming with books on military strategy, and a far wall dwarfed by monitors. The wall behind the desk was a massive window, overlooking the entire Alliance Operations Command in London.

She smiled grimly as Shepard reluctantly shook Hackett's hand, barely concealing her ire.

"Admiral, I appreciate this, but the reason I came back here was-"

"Your mother. Yes, I'm aware. Rear Admiral Shepard is currently leading an exploratory mission to Arcturus. Alliance brass seems to want to rebuild out there." Hackett moved back around to his seat behind the desk, gesturing for Shepard to sit. Liara remained standing, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "I'm not certain when she'll return, but I'm sure we can find something for you in the meantime." Hackett tugged his uniform jacket straight before sitting.

"Admiral, with respect sir, I didn't come back to re-enlist. My soldiering days are over. Right now, I want to find a quiet corner of the galaxy and relax." Shepard passed a sidelong glance at Liara. "Might even start a family."

Liara couldn't help but smile back at him, a small crack appearing in her icy façade.

_He has that effect on me._

"Shepard, I can appreciate your position. Humanity owes you a great debt. I think some R &amp;R is well deserved. I was hoping however, I might be able to talk you into a slight delay."

_Here it comes_, Liara thought, holding her breath.

"Simply put, people will be thrilled to know you're alive, Shepard. The rest of the Admiralty- your mother included, I might add- thought it would be a good idea for a... well, a kind of victory parade. You'd travel around a bit, talk to some reporters, visit a few banquets… nothing military. When we found out you were back, some press aide put together a few stops…" Hackett tapped on a data pad briefly. "Here," he handed the list to Shepard, who gave it a cursory glance. Then, his eyes widened. "A few stops? Admiral, this tour would take weeks. There's two on Earth, and everything else is off-world."

Hackett nodded. "A large amount of the human population isn't bound to Earth at this point, Shepard. Aside from that, it's not just humanity that's interested in the fact that you're alive. I spoke to Primarch Victus shortly after General Vakarian delivered you to Earth. The Turians want to damn near adopt you, Shepard. Short of that, I think they'll settle for naming a new cruiser after you. Everyone wants to thank you. Salarians, Krogan, Asari… I even got a call from the Volus Ambassador after we announced you were alive. "

Shepard smiled slightly. Liara's shoulders dropped.

_And now he's going to agree._

She held her breath, waiting. A million angry responses rolled through her mind as Shepard nodded. Instead of opening her mouth, Liara pushed away from the wall and walked out without a word.

* * *

•._.••´¯``•.¸¸.•` sραcεs `•.¸¸.•´´¯`••._.•

* * *

Shepard caught up with her at last in the courtyard. He called from behind her, but she ignored him, storming forward between two Alliance soldiers.

"Liara, hold on! ...Will you stop and listen for just a…" She heard him let out a sigh. Moments later, he appeared before her, flash-charging past her, and blocking her path.

"Hang on a second," he pleaded.

"You promised me, Shepard!" Liara yelled, crossing her arms angrily.

"I know I did. Just listen for a minute. If you want to go after that, I won't stop you. Hear me out."

Liara fumed, crossing her arms haughtily. "One minute."

He nodded, grateful. Shepard gestured to a bench in the courtyard under a young sapling. Liara sat down, crossing her arms again. Shepard let out a soft laugh as he sat next to her. "Not gonna make this easy, are you?"

Liara's glare in response was murderous. Shepard held up his hands in mock surrender, holding them there until she looked away. He sighed.

"You have to get Miranda set up as Feron's replacement in the Terminus systems. I told you I would help but… consider that for a moment: I've got the most recognizable face in the galaxy, Liara. Do you really want me out there with you and another covert agent of the Shadow Broker?"

Liara bit her lip, saying nothing. She wanted to be angry with him, but his argument made sense. She took a deep, calming breath, and lowered her arms to her sides slowly.

"I told you this would happen, Shepard. If we came back here, they would find a way to take you away from me…" A sob escaped her lips, hard as she tried to contain it. Shepard folded his arms around her, closing the distance between them on the bench and pulling Liara to his chest.

"There's nothing in this world- or the next, it would seem," Shepard grinned as she let out a laugh, "that can keep us apart. Remember what I said? To lose thee…"

Liara nodded once. "Were to lose myself." She lost herself in his piercing blue eyes until he leaned in to kiss her softly. Shepard stood, and pulled Liara to her feet.

"Now," he sighed. "Tomorrow, you're getting back on the _Light Echo_ and heading to… wherever, and I'm being caddied around by some Commander they recently promoted."

Liara let out a purring laugh. "Why Captain Shepard, are you trying to tell me that I have you all to myself for the next 14 hours?"

Shepard grinned, wrapping his hands around her waist. "I suppose I am. Question is, what are we going to do with all that time?"

Liara leaned forward on her toes, her lips touching his ear as she whispered, "I can think of a few things."

* * *

•._.••´¯``•.¸¸.•` sραcεs `•.¸¸.•´´¯`••._.•

* * *

Liara awoke to the din of raindrops along the windowsill. She smiled briefly, recalling the last time she'd lay in an Alliance bed, listening to the rain. This time, she knew, when she looked over her shoulder, she'd find Shepard sleeping quietly.

_It's only a few weeks. What's that compared to what we've been through already? I'm overreacting about nothing._

Liara leaned over and kissed his cheek softly before stealthily climbing out of bed and recovering her clothes. She turned quickly at the door, giving him one last glance. With a smile, Liara reached out and touched the door panel.

"I love you," Shepard murmured from the bed.

Liara smiled. "And I you, Shepard."

With that, she turned and walked swiftly away.

* * *

_Author's Note: First and foremost, thanks for reading! I'm having a lot of fun working on Volume 2 of 'Stars', and I'm glad you've decided to join me for our next chapter in my ever-evolving experiment._

_For those of you wondering, the bit at the beginning is from "Preface to a Twenty-Volume Suicide Note" written by Amiri Baraka. I felt like those four lines really resonated with where I want to go with this story- in fact, it was that quatrain that started this whole thing. I was perfectly content with how _Lost Among the Stars_ had ended (the first time I wrote the ending, that is- a very final happily ever after). But then I realized, there was a new question that was rolling around in my mind. After all, we answered the 'what if…?' in volume 1; the question that was burning inside me now became, 'what happens now…?'. I deleted and re-wrote the last chapters, and took a new direction._

_And so, this is where we're at, friends. This volume promises to answer the 'what happens now…?'. Given that I hadn't actually planned to write this, I cannot yet answer the question, nor can I answer if this will be the end of our tale. _

_I can promise, however, that I will do my best to keep you entertained, and stay within the spirit of the Mass Effect universe we've all come to love and enjoy. As always, I value your feedback, and thank you again for reading._

_It's going to take some time to really put this one together, but after making everyone wait so long for the final chapter of 'Lost', I wanted to get this up as quickly as possible._

_Until next time!_

_-Zero_


	2. Period of Adjustment

**Chapter 1: Period of Adjustment (Shepard)**

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief as he walked further from the din of the banquet. He tugged at his collar gently. The new dress blues did not fit well. He rounded a corner, and passed through a set of double doors leading out into the courtyard, and back to his temporary quarters in the base barracks. Shepard sighed deeply as his shoes squeaked on the pavement, the sound foreign and unfamiliar. His mind wandered back to times when a dress uniform was something he only wore for meetings.

_At least I won't be stuck in the uniform forever. A few weeks, and I'll be hanging it up for good._

With that thought, he smiled briefly. An alert from his omnitool interrupted his thoughts. Admiral Hackett appeared on the holographic monitor.

"Admiral?"

"Shepard, I just got word that your ride has arrived," Hackett said. "A shuttle is waiting at the landing pad near the barracks to take you up. Tonight you'll sleep under the stars."

Shepard nodded. "Just the way I like it, sir."

Hackett smiled. "You never did like to stay in one place for long."

"No sir. Comes from being born out there, I guess."

Hackett nodded. "Enjoy the ride, Shepard. Hackett out."

Shepard returned to his quarters and quickly began packing his belongings. It dawned on him that nearly all of the clothing he had in his possession was Alliance-issue.

_Come to think of it, I can't think of anything I actually own anymore._

It was a strange realization, one that caused Shepard to pause. He wasn't prone to this kind of thinking, and it momentarily startled him. He folded another shirt, slowly, and placed it into his duffle- also Alliance issue.

_It's strange. I've spent my whole adult life living and breathing the Alliance. I don't own property, I don't own a ship… I can't even think of an article of clothing aside from my N7 jacket that I could lay claim to._

Shepard shook his head with a knowing smile.

_Lots of things to catch up on, I suppose._

He pulled the zipper shut and shouldered his bag.

Shepard half-ran toward the landing pad. The Kodiak awaited him, thrusters primed and door open. He quickly climbed aboard the familiar shuttle, and poked his head into the cockpit.

"Where we headed?"

The pilot, a young man Shepard didn't recognize, grinned. "Sorry, Captain Shepard- Admiral's orders. You'll have to wait and see. All set?"

Shepard nodded. "I guess so."

The doors slid shut, and the thrusters blasted. Shepard sat down on one of the benches, placing his bag between his shoes.

_Just like we're trained. Stow your gear in case of combat maneuvers…_

_I wonder if I'll ever stop looking at the world through the eyes of a soldier._

The shuttle shuddered briefly as they passed through the atmosphere. Shepard stood, and walked forward to the cockpit again.

"Alright, let's see what the Admiral has in store for me, Lieutenant. Punch up your forward camera."

The pilot nodded with a smile. "With pleasure, Captain. Welcome back."

Shepard said nothing, taking in the long, angled body, painted moonlight white and dusky black. His eyes wandered over the tapered wings, thruster glow barely visible. A smile crept onto his face as the shuttle banked, and the camera panned, displaying the ship's proud name, announced in crisp lettering down the length of the vessel.

_Normandy._

"Hell of a sight," the pilot remarked with a smile.

Shepard nodded. "That she is. Take us in for a landing, Lieutenant."

"Aye-aye, sir."

Shepard returned to his seat as the shuttle banked again, u-turning to pull into the Normandy's open shuttle bay. Shepard waited for the docking clamps to engage and the door to open before standing. The Lieutenant quickly moved aft and grabbed his bag, snapping a quick salute. Shepard nodded, stepping to the door. He sighed inwardly at the sight before him.

"Crew, Normandy, Atten-huh!"

In two tight, neat lines down the shuttle bay, crew members snapped to attention, saluting. Shepard stepped out of the shuttle, walking down the makeshift path between the crew. He stopped, however, when he noticed the commanding officer standing at the head of the formation.

"…Ashley?" Shepard grinned, returning her salute. "Permission to come aboard, Lieutenant Commander Williams."

Ashley lowered her salute, smiling. "Permission granted, _Captain_. And its Commander Williams, now," she winked, pulling him into a quick hug. "Good to have you back, Shepard." She turned to the room with a smile.

"Detail, fall out!"

The crew dispersed around them. "You can leave the bag, Lieutenant Davis- the Captain is a big boy and can handle his own gear."

Shepard raised a brow, but Ashley only grinned wider. With a shake of his head, Shepard picked up his bag. "Well? You gonna take me for a tour of your ship or what?"

Ashley laughed. "Sure. I figure you'll want out of your blues, first. I am currently short an Executive Officer, so I set up quarters for you in there. Figured you wouldn't want to bunk with enlisted. Regs and all."

Shepard nodded. "Thoughtful."

Ashley smacked his arm playfully in reply. "Glad to see dying again hasn't smacked all the bullshit outta you, Shepard."

Shepard grinned, and shouldered his duffle. "Lead on, Commander."

The elevator door opened to the crew deck. Ashley stepped out first, and began walking toward the Executive Officer room. Shepard stepped out of the elevator slowly, confronting the memorial before him. Ashley paused, and returned to his side when she realized Shepard was not following.

"We haven't had a chance to remove your name yet. Sorry about that, Shepard."

He shook his head. "It's not that. Just…" Shepard inhaled deeply, and sighed. "Anderson."

Ashley placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "You were with him when he died?"

Shepard nodded. "He was in bad shape. And then the Illusive Man shot him. Just…" He grimaced, lowering his head and worked his jaw before he looked up again. "He had so much… life in him. Hard to believe he's gone- even seeing it happen."

Ashley shook her head. "We've seen some things, haven't we?"

"Too much, some might argue." With that, Shepard turned from the wall and headed toward the executive officer quarters.

Ashley opened the door, and stood aside, letting him look around.

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I walked in. Miranda and Liara had two very different styles."

The office had become a mixture of what Shepard could recall of the two offices. The right wall housed a desk and terminal, with several monitors streaming data about the vessel and other Alliance details. On the left side of the room, there was a pair of chairs, a sofa, and a small table between them. Beyond, through the doorway, the lights were lowered, but Shepard could make out the outline of a bed.

"Not bad, Williams. You decorate yourself? The color scheme is fantastic."

Ashley crossed her arms sternly, giving Shepard a look of malice. "Ha ha."

Shepard only grinned in reply, dropping his duffle into one of the chairs. "So I'll be in here for the duration?" Shepard allowed himself to half-fall onto the sofa, stretching. Then, a thought occurred to him. "You were just back to Earth and they haven't assigned you a first officer?"

Ashley shrugged. "It's more like I keep telling them I have very specific requirements for a first officer, and the candidates I keep mentioning aren't available."

"Anyone I know?" Shepard asked, unlacing his dress shoes and kicking them off.

"Actually, I was trying to get Samantha Traynor re-assigned."

Shepard nodded. "Good call. She's got the head for it, I'll give you that. Her strengths are areas that you're not exactly graceful in." Shepard nodded again. "So, why can't you get her?"

Ashley shrugged. "No idea. I can't even find out where she's stationed."

Shepard nodded in understanding. "Sounds classified. Could be working on something important."

Ashley sat across from him in one of the chairs. "I suppose. Or it could be bullshit. The brass hasn't really had an excuse to give me grief lately."

Shepard chuckled as he grabbed his duffle and walked back into the sleeping quarters. "Still think there's some kind of curse on your family?" He called out.

Ashley laughed. "Hard to complain. I'm commanding your old ship. The view's pretty good from up there, Shepard."

He walked back into the room, wearing fatigue pants and his N7 jacket. "Once you've got your own ship, that's pretty much the ballgame." He returned to the sofa. "What about the rest of the crew? I've only seen Garrus and Miranda since I came back."

Ashley raised a brow teasingly. "And Liara. In fact, I bet you've seen a lot of her… maybe even all of her?"

Shepard let out a laugh. "Alright, alright."

"Vega is still in the N7 program. He's out with a squad now, in fact. I heard from him a few weeks ago."

"You two still close?"

Ashley blushed slightly. "When we can be." She smiled before she continued. "Jack went back to Grissom Academy. Heard they're considering her to take over for Kahlee Saunders when she retires."

Shepard shook his head. "Can't ever see Jack in an Alliance uniform. Amazing."

Ashley nodded. "As for the rest… well, I haven't seen any of them since…." her voice trailed off, studying Shepard's face.

Shepard sighed, sitting forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"What's bothering you, Skipper?"

He snorted. "Been awhile since you called me that."

"Been awhile since I've seen you," Ashley retorted with a smile. Her face grew serious. "Something's bugging you. What is it?"

Shepard sighed. "Between you and me?" Ashley nodded, and he continued. "For the first time in my life, I don't have anything to do. I mean, there's this tour, but after that… Nothing. That's the end of my military career."

"It doesn't have to be, Shepard," Ashley remarked quietly.

"No, that's not what bothers me. I told Hackett my war is over, and I believe it. I just… I'm aimless, Ash. No next tour of duty, no shore leave, no oversight." He let out a single laugh in disbelief. "I'll be a civilian."

Ashley shook her head. "You've got this all backwards, Skipper. You're looking at this like it's a death march, and after this, nothing. Dead man walking. It's the start of some completely new and unknown adventure, Shepard. You have to learn all new things: how to relax, how to take up a hobby, how to be a mate, maybe?" Ashley grinned. "The point is, Shepard, this isn't the end of everything; it's the beginning of something. You're a soldier through and through. So buck up and charge into the fray."

Shepard looked at her, silent for a moment. Finally, he sat back and laughed.

"Command has matured you, Ash. In a good way."

She smiled, standing. "I had a good teacher. Come on, I'll show you the rest of the ship. I have one more surprise you'll like."

Shepard stepped into the cockpit, and grinned as the pilot's chair turned.

"Joker. Should've known."

"Hey, everybody! Look, it's the great Commander Shepard! Let me know if you want me to divert away from the tour to a disease-stricken planet or some other crisis for you to resolve… oh wait, we did that on Tuchunka already. Well, never mind then."

Joker struggled from his seat, standing and issuing a loose salute before he shook Shepard's hand. "Good to see you again, Comman- wow, those are Captain's bars. Niiiiice. So, you only have to die like, two or three times to make it up the command ladder. Williams, you're screwed. You've topped out."

Ashley glared. "Don't you have a ship to fly, Flight Lieutenant?"

Joker looked around the cockpit briefly before shaking his head. "No, it pretty much flies itself after a fashion."

Ashley shook her head, turning back toward the CIC. Shepard laughed.

"It's good to see you again, Joker," Shepard said, turning to follow Ashley.

They approached the command platform, and Ashley gestured. "Take her out, Captain."

Shepard shook his head with a smile. "The Normandy is your ship now, Commander."

Ashley stepped onto the dais, and the star map appeared before her. "Set a course for Horizon."


End file.
